Elon Musk's Neuralink has commenced recruitment for its first human trials, marking a significant step for the brain-computer interface company. The trials follow FDA approval received in May, and aim to assist individuals with brain disorders and spinal injuries.
Neuralink is specifically seeking participants with quadriplegia resulting from cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company announced the recruitment via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The primary objective of the study is to assess the safety of both the implanted wireless chip and the surgical robot employed for its insertion. If the trial proves successful, participants will potentially gain the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.
Neuralink's Broader Vision
Beyond medical applications, Neuralink's ultimate ambition, according to Musk, is to enhance human capabilities, enabling individuals to compete with advanced artificial intelligence. Implanted chips could offer "enhanced abilities," including improved reasoning and vision, and facilitate tasks such as streaming music directly to the brain.
Ethical Considerations and Animal Testing
Neuralink has faced scrutiny from animal rights groups concerning its treatment of research animals at the University of California's Davis Primate Centre. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has accused Neuralink of subjecting monkeys to "extreme suffering" and providing "inadequate animal care."
Neuralink and Musk have refuted these allegations. Musk stated on X that experiments were conducted on primates that were already terminally ill. He asserted that no monkey has died as a result of a Neuralink implant.
